Wine Roots & History in Morgan Hill
You might not think “wine country” when you think Silicon Valley, but we’re here to let you know – it’s a thing! The Santa Clara Valley Wine Region and Morgan Hill lie in what is known as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight” where wine grapes and cherries grow next door to microchips and processers. Visiting our region’s wineries and vineyards to taste delicious wine is an experience in its own right, showcasing the unique juxtaposition of Morgan Hill’s agricultural roots with the world’s tech epicenter.
The Santa Clara Valley, located between the Santa Cruz Mountains in the west and the Diablo Range to the east, features a climate and soil perfect for growing European wine-grape varietals and other crops like apricots, garlic, cherries, mushrooms, and grapes. There are 9 Morgan Hill wineries on the burgeoning Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail. From Morgan Hill, you may access around 30 wineries within a short 15-20-minute drive of downtown, in the pastoral San Martin and rolling hills toward Gilroy.
The Santa Clara Valley also has some of the oldest premium wine producers in the state of California, which means they’ve had years to perfectly hone their craft! “The history of winemaking and viticulture in the Santa Clara Valley goes back to the 18th Century,” states the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley website. From the discovery of native California grapes, the first plantings at the Santa Clara Mission, through boom years, the Great Depression, and prohibition, the region has some of the richest tradition of anywhere in the country.
The Santa Clara Valley received the AVA (American Viticultural Area) designation in 1989, distinguishing its grape and wine products from the broader Central Coast and Northern California wine regions. Today, Morgan Hill has some heavy hitters when it comes to award-winning wines. The list of accolades is too long to list here, but some notable and recent honors can be found at Lightpost Winery and Guglielmo Winery.
From long established family operations to relative newcomers, the Santa Clara Valley wine region is known for smaller production vintners. Its wineries have robust wine club followings of in-the-know fans and the region isn’t overrun with weekenders, like other wine country spots can be. The Valley is continuously evolving with not only great wine, but beautiful tasting rooms, pet and kid-friendly patios, picnic tables, music, gardens and farms, gift shops, food pairings and special dinners, and innovations like virtual tastings. We hope you’ll come discover our relaxed and refined Morgan Hill wineries!
